Welcome to “The Little Town with a Big Heart”
Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Iris Lofton, 92, of Newton. She passed away on Sunday, January 12.
Prayer Requests: Iris Lofton family, Baby Josie McCormick, Logan Skinner, Margie Brown, Donald Haygood, Doyle Gibbs, Michael Scott Reed, Tommie Everett, Carl Jones, Bro. Gary Felton, Joshua Black, Trey Wilbourn, Bill Breindger, Dylan Walker, Hope Parks, Alley Gressett, Norman Snowden, Caleb Carr, Barbara Blass, Annie Therrin, Mike Walton, Vickie Davidson, Marty Turner, Alana McMullan, Doyle McMullan, Cili Norman and Janie McMullan.
Shut-Ins: Royce and Sara Richardson, Jimmie Craig, Bro. Ron Gilstrap and Stephanie Roland.
Congratulations to Chad Bond of Hickory who was named Mississippi Tennis Coach of the Year and was honored at a Banquet at the Jackson Country Club on Saturday, January 11. Chad is a history teacher and tennis coach at Newton County High School. Chad was also honored as the DAR Newton County Chapter History Teacher of the year and State History Teacher of the year in 2019. Way to go Chad!
Congratulations to Jacob and Shelly Little of Chunky, on the arrival of their precious bundle of joy, Lilly Jane. She arrived Monday, January 13 at 8:37 p.m. weighing 6-pounds 4-ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. We love her so much! We are blessed beyond words! Paternal grandparents are David Little and Susan Hurst and Chuck and Tina Alsup. Maternal grandparents are Johnny and Renee Embry of Chunky.
Congratulations to Seth and Ashley McCormick on the arrival of their precious baby girl, Josie Laine McCormick. She was born January 14, weighing 9-pounds and 20 inches long. Her big brother, Carter, welcomed his baby sister home.
Birthdays for the Week: Jan. 22 to Lee Ford, Donna Hutchins and Brent Brown; Jan. 23 to Tiffany Dover (a former Hickory resident), Patti Etheridge and Doris Rushing; Jan. 24 to Mickey Smith; Jan. 25 to J.P. Hurst in memory, Susan Mosley, Patty Alexander and Jason, “LJ” Cole Il; Jan. 26 to Beth Chaney, Jo Veenstra, and Marie Birch (a former Hickory resident); Jan. 27 to KLenlynn Morgan, Michelle McGee Daniels, Caleb Jones and Herb Oliver in memory; Jan. 28 to Kayden Payne. Happy birthday to each one!Anniversaries for the Week: Jan. 22 to Johnny and Jennifer Williams; Jan. 25 to Aaron and Jessica Cooley, and Don and Charlotte Stamper. Wishing each one a happy and blessed anniversary!
Recipe for the Week: Almond Cream CakeIngredients:1 cup butter (softened), 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 cups cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 3/4 cup egg whites plus 3 tablespoons. Frosting: 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 cups milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract, 2 cups butter (softened), 2 cups granulated sugar, Sliced almonds and whole almonds for decorating. Instructions: Using a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment until they are stiff and form peaks. This may take a minute or two. Pour the egg whites into another bowl and place them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add them to the batter. Using the same bowl that you used to beat the egg whites, place the softened butter in and cream the butter for about 2 minutes (using the beater blade attachment until it is white in appearance. Add the sugar to the butter and beat until fluffy (about another 1-2 minutes). In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the milk and almond extract. Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with the milk. Add the stiffly beaten eggs to the cake batter. Fold the egg whites in gently. Do not over mix at this point. If you do, your cake will become more dense. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Pour the cake batter equally into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 25-27 minutes or until the top bounces back when you touch it.Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges and remove them from the pans to a wire rack, allowing them to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan, whisk the flour into the milk over medium-low heat until it thickens. Stir it constantly, lowering the heat to low if needed. The consistency should be very thick, like mashed potatoes. This step took about 12-15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set the pan in a bowl of ice for 5-10 minutes to quicken the cooling process. The temperature of the mixture should be at room temperature. Stir in the almond extract. If you have a food processor, process the white sugar for a minute or so, so that the granules become finer. While the mixture is cooling, cream together the butter and processed sugar using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until light and fluffy. Do this for 5 minutes until the sugar is completely creamed and there is no graininess left. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat it until it all combines and looks like whipped cream. This will take about another 3-5 minutes of beating. Keep scraping the sides of the bowl while the mixture is beating together so that everything gets well incorporated. Once the mixture has the texture of fluffy whipped cream, you are ready to ice the cake. Once the cakes are cool, place one cake on a cake plate. Spread frosting on top of that layer, then place the other cake on top of the frosted cake. Use the remainder of the frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake. Decorate the sides and top with sliced and whole almonds, if desired. Notes: This is about 6 large egg whites. Some are having problems with the cake being too dense. This can happen when you mistakenly add too much flour. When you measure the flour, spoon it from the flour container gently into the measuring cup. Do not pack it down at all. This technique will help you not put too much flour into the cake.From the communities of Hickory, Berry, Sand Springs, Mount Vernon and Poplar Springs, email or call floraoverstreet64@gmail.com or call 601-479-9044 with your news.
